Nothing strengthens a father-daughter relationship quite like an on-air grilling session.
Appearing on NFL Network on Sunday, Saints coach Sean Payton spoke about New Orleans’ crushing playoff loss to Minnesota in January, when pressed by the network’s intern — his daughter, Meghan.
“I want to go back to Minnesota,” Meghan said, per The New Orleans Times-Picayune, later adding, “There’s way more than one play that changes the game, but if you could, what would you do differently in that game?”
Joking he had been enjoying his time away at Lake Tahoe, Nev., before that particular question, Payton elaborated on one moment in time before Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs’ miraculous touchdown.
“For someone who is really studying that game, there was a third-and-1 before we kicked that field goal,” Payton said of the 24-23 lead at the time.
“We weren’t able to convert that third-and-1. We kicked a field goal with 20-some seconds left in the game. Had we been able to just get the one yard, we would have easily been able to run the clock down to 3 seconds and hopefully kick the field goal and not give the Vikings another possession. So I would say that would be a play I beat myself up over, or we think about a lot and that mattered in that game a lot,” he added.
Payton later quipped he wanted NFL Network anchor Lindsey Rhodes to ask more questions. Diggs’ touchdown catch as time ran out in the game likely keeps Payton up at night, as the miracle propelled Minnesota to the NFC Championship game against Philadelphia.

